Stephenson Fund

Our £2m Stephenson Fund invests in innovative companies working in the field of mechanical engineering.

What is the Stephenson Fund?

The Stephenson Fund, is aimed at helping companies overcome the investment hurdle between Research and Development and bringing a product to market.

The fund, initially worth a total of £2 million, is in line with our original statement of purpose set out by founder George Stephenson in 1847 to “give an impulse to invention likely to be useful to the world”. It is our first investment fund of this kind, and indeed any UK professional engineering institution.

The Stephenson Limited Liability Partnership Fund is independently managed by specialist venture capital company Midven Ltd and aims to invest in innovative companies engaged in mechanical engineering over the next few years.

These investments by the Institution are not just about providing monetary investment, but about connecting these and other companies to the vast resources and network of the Institution and its membership.

The fund fulfils the Institution’s original purpose to give an impulse to invention and also help companies overcome the investment hurdle between Research and Development and bringing a product to market.

I am really excited that through the fund the Institution is able to support Lontra, Amalyst, Oxsensis, Tokamak Energy and Oxford Space Systems in developing exciting and innovative technologies which really are inventions likely to be useful to the world. This is the Institution getting back to its roots.

Companies we have invested in

Meet the innovators

We spoke to Tokamak Energy’s Dr Melanie Windridge about the company’s vision, the role of engineers in society, and what innovation means to her. Tokamak Energy is one of the companies supported by our Stephenson Fund.

We spoke to Oxford Space System's Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Lawton, about the company's vision, the role of engineers in the UK and what innovation means to him. Oxford Space Systems is one of the companies supported by our Stephenson Fund.